Protective bicycle helmet with internal ventilation fit system comprising expanded connectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11510453-B2
Application number	US-201916520198-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2019
Priority date	Apr 6, 2012
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A helmet for protecting the head of a user may include at least one liner comprising an inner surface and a lower edge surrounding the inner surface at a helmet opening configured to receive a head of a helmet wearer. At least two coupling points may be located on the inner surface proximal to the lower edge. At least one flexible forehead strap may follow the lower edge of the energy management layer and may be inwardly offset from the inner surface. At least two prongs may be coupled to, and slidably extend between, the flexible forehead strap and the at least two coupling points, respectively. A continuous gap between the inner surface and the flexible forehead strap may be provided by an offset created by the at least two prongs, the at least two prongs flexibly maintaining the offset.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A helmet for protecting the head of a user, the helmet comprising:
at least one liner comprising an inner surface and a lower edge surrounding the inner surface at a helmet opening configured to receive a head of a helmet wearer;
at least two coupling points located on the inner surface proximal to the lower edge;
at least one flexible forehead strap following the lower edge of the at least one liner and inwardly offset from the inner surface;
at least two prongs configured to slidably couple the flexible forehead strap and the at least one liner, the at least two prongs being configured to slide into and out of the at least two coupling points; and
a continuous gap between the inner surface and the flexible forehead strap provided by an offset created by the at least two prongs, the continuous gap being a flexible gap configured to extend between a maximum size and a smaller size via sliding movement of the at least two prongs into and out of a flexible entrance of each coupling point to thereby allow the flexible forehead strap to float relative to the helmet.

2. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the at least two prongs comprise a stem and a head, the head having a larger cross-section than a cross-section of the stem, wherein the stem is attached to and projects away from the flexible forehead strap towards the inner surface and the head couples with the inner surface at one of the at least two coupling points.

3. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the continuous gap between the inner surface and the flexible forehead strap is maintained by the offset created by the at least two prongs, the at least two prongs coupled to the flexible forehead strap to reduce pinch points on the flexible forehead strap for the user.

4. The helmet of claim 1 , further comprising an adjustable connector coupled to each end of the at least one flexible forehead strap and capable of adjusting a perimeter of the flexible forehead strap, wherein the adjustable connector comprises a knob that decreases the perimeter when rotated in a first direction and increases the perimeter when rotated in a second direction different from the first direction.

5. The helmet of claim 1 , the at least two coupling points each comprising a hole wherein a length of the stem is greater than a depth of the hole and the stem is slidably coupled within the hole.

6. The helmet of claim 1 , the at least one flexible forehead strap further comprising a pair of rails intermittently joined by transverse ribs, the rails and the ribs cooperatively coupled to define a plurality of ventilation apertures in the at least one flexible forehead strap in the form of elongated slots.

7. A helmet for protecting the head of a user, the helmet comprising:
at least one liner comprising an outer shell and an energy management layer, the energy management layer comprising an inner surface and a lower edge surrounding the inner surface at a helmet opening configured to receive a head of a helmet wearer;
at least one coupling point located on the inner surface adjacent the lower edge;
at least one flexible forehead strap following the lower edge of the energy management layer, inwardly offset from the inner surface, and coupled to the inner surface at the at least one coupling point;
a coupling point gap separating the inner surface from the flexible forehead strap at each coupling point, the coupling point gap being a flexible gap configured to extend between a maximum size and a smaller size to thereby adapt the helmet to the head of the helmet wearer; and
an adjustable connector coupled to the at least one flexible forehead strap and configured to adjust a perimeter of the flexible forehead strap.

8. The helmet of claim 7 , further comprising at least two prongs configured to slidably couple the at least one flexible forehead strap and the at least one liner, wherein each prong comprises a stem and a head, wherein the at least one coupling point comprises a hole, and wherein the stem is slidably coupled with the hole and a portion of the stem is configured to remain outside of the hole.

9. The helmet of claim 8 , the at least one coupling point comprising a first coupling point being located in a right front portion of the inner surface and a second coupling point being located in a left front portion of the inner surface.

10. The helmet of claim 8 , the head having a larger cross-section than a cross-section of the stem, wherein the stem is attached to and projects away from the flexible forehead strap towards the inner surface and the head couples with the inner surface at the at least one coupling point.

11. The helmet of claim 9 , wherein the at least two prongs comprise at least two pairs of prongs located on the flexible forehead strap and positioned to couple with the at least one coupling point.

12. The helmet of claim 7 , wherein a length L of the coupling point gap is in a range of greater than 0.0 cm to 0.635 cm.

13. The helmet of claim 7 , wherein the adjustable connector comprises a knob configured to decrease the perimeter when adjusted in a first direction and configured to increase the perimeter when adjusted in a second direction different from the first direction.

14. A helmet for protecting the head of a user, the helmet comprising:
at least one helmet liner comprising an outer shell and an energy management layer, the energy management layer comprising an inner surface and a lower edge surrounding the inner surface at a helmet opening configured to receive a head of a helmet wearer;
at least one coupling point located on the inner surface proximal to the lower edge;
at least one flexible forehead strap following the lower edge of the energy management layer, inwardly offset from the inner surface, and coupled to the inner surface at the at least one coupling point; and
a continuous gap between the inner surface and the flexible forehead strap, including at the at least one coupling point, the continuous gap being a flexible gap configured to extend between a maximum size and a smaller size in response to the head of the helmet wearer.

15. The helmet of claim 14 , further comprising at least two prongs that slidably couple the at least one flexible forehead strap and the at least one liner, wherein each prong comprises a stem and a head, wherein the at least one coupling point comprises a hole, and wherein a length of the stem is greater than a depth of the hole and a portion of the length of the stem is configured to remain outside of the hole.

16. The helmet of claim 15 , wherein:
the at least one coupling point comprises at least two coupling points; and
a first of the at least two coupling points is located in a right front portion of the inner surface proximal to the lower edge and a second of the at least two coupling points is located in a left front portion of the inner surface proximal to the lower edge, wherein the at least two coupling points are proximal to a helmet wearer's head temples when in use.

17. The helmet of claim 16 , the head having a larger cross-section than a cross-section of the stem, wherein the stem is attached to and projects away from the flexible forehead strap towards the inner surface and the head couples with the inner surface at the at least one coupling point.

18. The helmet of claim 17 , wherein the at least two prongs comprise at least two pairs of prongs, coupled to the flexible forehead strap and each prong of the at least two pairs of prongs coupled to each of the at least one coupling points.

19. The helmet of cla

Assignees

• Bell Sports Inc

Inventors

• Musal Michael J
• Pietrzak Christopher T

Classifications

• A42B3/281

  Air ducting systems · CPC title

• A42B3/12

  Cushioning devices · CPC title

• A42B3/066 Primary

  specially adapted for cycling helmets, e.g. for soft shelled helmets · CPC title

• A42B3/085

  Occipital retention systems · CPC title

• A42B3/283 Primary

  Air inlets or outlets, with or without closure shutters · CPC title